Freediving guide

Freediving World Records: Depth and Pool

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Freediver descending a competition dive line in deep open water

Two organisations ratify freediving world records, and they keep separate lists. AIDA International and CMAS each run their own competitions, train their own judges and operate their own ratification process, so the same discipline can carry two different world records at the same time. Neither list overrules the other.

This page lists both, side by side, for every depth and pool discipline, along with the absolute record, which is simply the better of the two marks.

Updated weekly using the latest official AIDA and CMAS records.

At a glance

  • AIDA and CMAS ratify records separately, so most disciplines have two current world records
  • The absolute record is the deeper or longer mark shown, including pending performances.
  • Depth records on this page are sea records. CMAS keeps a separate freshwater list
  • No Limits and Variable Weight are not included here
  • A mark shown as pending has met record standard but is still awaiting doping ratification

Depth disciplines

Four depth disciplines are recognised by both organisations with comparable rules. In Constant Weight (CWT) the diver descends and ascends under their own power wearing fins, carrying the same ballast down and up. Constant Weight Bi-fins (CWTB) is the same discipline restricted to bi-fins rather than a monofin. Constant Weight No Fins (CNF) is swum without fins and is the hardest of the four. In Free Immersion (FIM) the diver uses no fins and pulls along the line in both directions.

The figures below are sea records. CMAS also ratifies a separate set of freshwater depth records, which are not directly comparable and are not listed here.

Depth, men

DisciplineAbsoluteAIDA recordCMAS record
CWT137 m (pending)RussiaAlexey Molchanov137 m (pending)RussiaAlexey Molchanov, 8 Oct 2026, Limassol136 mRussiaAlexey Molchanov, 21 Aug 2023, Roatán
CWTB129 mRussiaAlexey Molchanov129 mRussiaAlexey Molchanov, 22 Jul 2026, Panglao127 m (pending)RussiaAlexey Molchanov, 25 Aug 2026, Roatán
CNF103 mCroatiaPetar Klovar103 mCroatiaPetar Klovar, 26 May 2025, Sharm El Sheikh100 mRussiaAlexey Molchanov, 24 Aug 2023, Roatán
FIM137 mCroatiaPetar Klovar137 mCroatiaPetar Klovar, 20 Apr 2026, Mabini133 m (pending)RussiaAlexey Molchanov, 19 Aug 2026, Roatán

Klovar’s 137 metre Free Immersion dive is the deepest ratified mark listed across these four depth disciplines. Molchanov’s pending 137 metre Constant Weight performance equals that depth.

Depth, women

DisciplineAbsoluteAIDA recordCMAS record
CWT123 mItalySloveniaAlessia Zecchini and Alenka Artnik123 mItalyAlessia Zecchini, 24 May 2023, Philippines123 mSloveniaAlenka Artnik, 9 Jul 2025, Long Island
CWTB113 mItalyAlessia Zecchini112 mUkraineNatalia Zharkova, 20 May 2026, Sharm El Sheikh113 mItalyAlessia Zecchini, 18 May 2025, Camotes
CNF88 mUkraineKateryna Sadurska86 mUkraineKateryna Sadurska, 23 Nov 2025, Soufrière88 mUkraineKateryna Sadurska, 30 Nov 2025, Soufrière
FIM108 m (pending)HungaryZsófia Törőcsik108 m (pending)HungaryZsófia Törőcsik, 6 Oct 2026, Limassol107 m (pending)UkraineNatalia Zharkova, 20 Aug 2026, Roatán

Pool disciplines

Four pool disciplines are recognised by both organisations with comparable rules. Static Apnea (STA) is a motionless breath hold at the surface, measured in time. Dynamic With Fins (DYN), Dynamic With Bi-fins (DYNB) and Dynamic No Fins (DNF) are all horizontal distance swims on a single breath, separated by what the diver is allowed to wear on their feet.

All distances below were set in a 50 metre pool. CMAS also ratifies speed apnea events, which AIDA does not run, so those have no absolute equivalent and are not listed here.

Pool, men

DisciplineAbsoluteAIDA recordCMAS record
STA11:35FranceStéphane Mifsud11:35FranceStéphane Mifsud, 8 Jun 2009, Hyères10:45SerbiaBranko Petrović, 11 Nov 2017, Subotica
DYN326.5 mPolandMateusz Malina325 mPolandMateusz Malina, 6 Jun 2026, Budapest326.5 mPolandMateusz Malina, 24 May 2025, Athens
DYNB300 mPolandMateusz Malina298 mFranceGuillaume Bourdila, 28 Jun 2025, Wakayama300 mPolandMateusz Malina, 21 May 2025, Athens
DNF252 mPolandMateusz Malina252 mPolandMateusz Malina, 3 Jun 2026, Budapest244 mPolandMateusz Malina, 11 Jun 2026, Serbia

Pool, women

DisciplineAbsoluteAIDA recordCMAS record
STA9:39GermanyHeike Schwerdtner9:39GermanyHeike Schwerdtner, 5 Jun 2026, Budapest9:39GermanyHeike Schwerdtner, 13 Jun 2026, Novi Sad
DYN300 mHungaryZsófia Törőcsik280 mHungaryZsófia Törőcsik, 2 Jul 2025, Wakayama300 mHungaryZsófia Törőcsik, 11 Aug 2025, Chengdu
DYNB278.5 mCroatiaMirela Kardašević270 mPolandMagdalena Solich-Talanda, 2 Jun 2026, Budapest278.5 mCroatiaMirela Kardašević, 12 Jun 2026, Novi Sad
DNF222.5 mPolandJulia Kozerska213 mPolandJulia Kozerska, 13 Jun 2023, Jeju222.5 mPolandJulia Kozerska, 10 Aug 2025, Chengdu

How a world record is ratified

Both organisations use a similar process. The dive must be judged by an international judge of the appropriate level who is not from the athlete's country, the athlete must complete doping control, and uncut video of the attempt must be submitted and approved. For depth records, footage of the bottom plate and tag is also required. A dive that meets the distance or depth but fails any part of this does not become a record.

A pending mark has not yet completed ratification. Pending marks are labelled in the tables, including in the absolute column when they are the best performance shown.

Why the two lists differ

The gaps between the columns are not measurement errors. They exist because a record can only be set at a sanctioned competition of that organisation, so an athlete who competes mostly on one circuit will tend to hold that organisation's record. Rule details also differ in places, and the two bodies recognise slightly different discipline sets. CMAS runs speed apnea and maintains separate freshwater depth records. AIDA does not.

Some athletes are listed under different national affiliations by each organisation, and CMAS lists some competitors under a neutral CMAS flag rather than a country.

What these numbers mean if you are learning to freedive

Very little, and that is worth saying plainly. These are the results of full-time athletes with years of training, medical supervision and dedicated safety teams. They are not a target, a benchmark or a progression path for a recreational diver.

Recreational certification depths sit a long way below them. AIDA 2 requires 12 metres, and the maximum training depth on that course is 20 metres. If you are deciding where to start, the difference between AIDA 1 and AIDA 2 matters far more than anything on this page, and you can compare the course options directly.

Common questions

Why are there two different freediving world records for the same discipline?

AIDA International and CMAS are separate organisations. Each runs its own competitions, trains its own judges and ratifies its own records, so a discipline can hold one AIDA record and a different CMAS record at the same time. Neither list overrules the other.

What is the absolute record?

The better of the two marks shown, including pending performances, whichever organisation recorded it. Pending performances are labelled and have not yet completed ratification. It is a comparison rather than an official title, because no single body awards it.

Why are No Limits and Variable Weight not listed?

Both use equipment to assist the descent or ascent rather than the diver's own power, which puts them in a different category from the disciplines above. They are excluded from this page.

How often does this page change?

Records are broken several times a year, usually during the major competition season. The date at the top of this page is when the figures were last checked against the official AIDA and CMAS sources.

Sources

Depth and pool figures are taken from the official record listings published by each organization: the AIDA International world records database and the CMAS Freediving Records and Rankings page. AIDA figures were checked against the AIDA records database. CMAS figures were checked against the depth-sea record sheet dated 6 September 2026 and the indoor record sheet dated 12 September 2026.

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